Shepard's Folly
by Quibbleflux
Summary: Shortly after Liara settles into her new role, everything goes wrong. Now Liara finds herself on the crew of the Normandy once more as Shepard tries to rekindle their broken relationship and face yet another peril that threatens the galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

Tabitha Shepard picked up the picture of herself, her old self, and examined it with a tranquil expression. The picture was taken before she had been killed. She looked identical to the red-haired woman in the picture, sans cybernetics. To think that a group like Cerberus had done this, reconstructed her, sent a shiver down her spine.

"That was a happier time, hard to believe," Liara said as she stepped up behind Shepard.

"If only Sovereign was our biggest problem again," Shepard agreed, laying the picture down in a box before turning to face Liara. "I can't believe you kept it. We could update it, you know."

"It's more than just a reminder of you, Tabitha. Those were simpler times. Sometimes I like to . . . reminisce; I like to remember not just you but everyone else, on the original Normandy." Liara looked down and for a moment bore a striking resemblance to the asari Shepard had freed from the Prothean stasis field.

"You can come back, you know," Shepard said, laying a hand on Liara's shoulder.

"I know, Shepard," Liara said, looking at the hand. "But I have a job to do. I will be more useful to you as the Shadow Broker than on your team. You know that as well as I do."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean you have to. Sometimes we have to go beyond our duties," Shepard said, though she knew it was a lost cause.

"Come, we should be leaving soon and I still have to decide which of my artefacts I am going to take."

"Yeah, right," Shepard said, watching as Liara turned and walked down the stairs. A walk Shepard had come to miss watching on the Normandy.

"So why did you bring me along?" came the familiar voice from the shadows behind her. Shepard turned around to watch Kasumi step across the bedroom, holding yet another box of Liara's stuff. The thief laid it down on the bed.

"Liara's not taking everything with her, and she doesn't want anything stolen. Who better to tighten up her security than the galaxy's greatest thief?"

"Unfortunately he's dead, but I'll see what I can do," Kasumi shot back, bringing up her omni-tool as she walked away. Though it had been quite some time since she had laid the last remains of her partner to rest, Shepard still detected the nostalgia in the thief's voice when she spoke of her lover.

"—fortunately, everyone was able to get out alive." Shepard nearly jumped at the voice before realizing it was a news broadcast. She looked around quickly for the source.

Garrus was standing by the screen as Shepard threw him a scrutinizing look.

"The mood was getting solemn, I thought this might lighten things up," he said helplessly.

"In other news, the Citadel Council warmly welcomed their first hanar representative in a audacious diplomatic move last Thursday. The representative—"

"Alright, I think I have everything I need for now." That was Liara, brandishing her omni-tool. The broadcast faded away.

"You sure?" Shepard asked.

"If I need anything I'm sure you can find time from your busy schedule to assist me."

"I can always spare the time for you, Liara."

"Ahem," Garrus interjected. "I'll start bringing some of the full bags out to the shuttle and leave you ladies to your… privacy." He walked away and Shepard saw him tap his visor, no doubt turning on the music stored on the device.

"Sheesh, you'd think we were parting ways for good," Shepard commented to Liara. The asari laughed. "Want to say good-bye to this place before we leave?"

"No, that is fine. I only spent two years here. Two years over the span of one hundred and eight years is negligible. This place was never home, not like the Normandy."

"She's something special, but the real test is coming up . . . when the Reapers arrive." Shepard scowled at the thought, turning and looking out of the window at Nos Astra and the continuous traffic flying by. All of it was in danger. All of this, not just this city, this world, but all of the galaxy was facing the Reaper invasion. Cerberus was well equipped, but they would need a lot more allies before they would be prepared.

A hand found her shoulder. "It is not your responsibility alone," Liara said softly. "I will be there by your side, to the end. And with the resources of the Shadow Broker I am certain we can find a way to stop them."

"I'm glad one of us is," Shepard murmured. A sudden slap jarred her as she was whirled around, Liara glaring fiercely into her eyes.

"Do not talk like that," Liara growled. "You are the captain of the Normandy, the first human Spectre, and the saviour of the Citadel and the Council. You are the idol for all humans and many others in the galaxy. You are my . . . . You cannot let them break you, you must inspire everyone!"

Shepard looked down at Liara's lips. She didn't know why, but she couldn't quite concentrate on anything past them. A moment of silence passed between them before the Spectre nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry, it's just . . . a lot has happened since I was trialed on Eden Prime. It gets to me sometimes."

"I understand completely. I am here for you, Tabitha, but you must remain strong for everyone else. Your strength is our strength. When we were on Ilos it was your courage that kept us all going. I have no doubt the same thing applied when you went into the Collector's base. When you are at the head of your crew, you are unstoppable. Remember that."

"I will. Thank you, Liara," Shepard said, and pulled Liara in close. There was a brief moment of hesitation—not that she reconsidered her actions but she enjoyed the simple embrace before their lips touched. It wasn't passionate, not by the usual definition of passionate, but it was one of the best kisses she had shared with the asari. The raw emotion that ran between the touch was far beyond passionate. It was some sort of uncharted territory that neither had quiet experienced before, but something that they hungered for nonetheless.

Their lips parted, but Liara touched her forehead to Tabitha's and didn't move for a few moments, instead content to enjoy her lover's presence.

A slight noise from the door caused Shepard to glance around to see the familiar silhouette of the Japanese thief waiting by the entrance. She sighed, drinking in Liara's presence for a little while longer before greeting Kasumi.

"I assume the security's been tightened," Shepard said at length.

"Yes, should be safe from any kind of burglary. I can't do anything against a direct attack," Kasumi said, stepping once more from the shadows. Shepard wondered how long she had been there. It was always hard to tell with the thief.

"Most of the luggage is loaded up. Just the last few boxes," Garrus said as he returned, motioning to a couple of containers packed up with stuff from Liara's bedroom still resting on the bed.

"Alright, we'll go out and wait, Liara. You lock everything up and we'll head back the Normandy." Shepard let go of Liara, realizing the two were still embraced. "Don't get too handsy," she teased.

# # #

"We're coming in a little rough, hold on everybody," Joker's voice sounded over the intercom. As if on cue, the Normandy shook violently, akin to being caught in turbulence on Earth.

Shepard and Liara lurched to and fro from the couch in the Captain's Cabin, but they had braced for the entry. Hagalaz had always been this rough; it was what made the Shadow Broker's base such an ingenious lair. It was hidden from all equipment because of the raging thunderstorm, and the electricity gave the base a perpetual power source.

"Are you alright?" Shepard asked Liara. Not that anything had happened, but Shepard liked to be protective over Liara when the two were together, and she was pretty sure Liara liked being protected. The asari had grown quite a bit in the two years Shepard had been…incapacitated; she was quite independent, but still the same Liara.

"I am fine. More than fine while I am here," Liara said, nuzzling into Shepard's arms. Nothing more romantic than a thunderstorm. The ship shook violently again and Shepard held Liara close. And they would've probably gotten further, had a red light started flickering and a klaxon started sounding.

"Uh, Commander, you might want to get down here," Joker said over the intercom.

Shepard got up and rushed over to the intercom. "What's happening?"

"Hostile attack. We have taken substantial damage to our starboard engines. Kinetic barriers have dampened the attacks, but they are now only running at twenty per cent," EDI responded in place of Joker.

"Taking evasive manoeuvres, hold on tight!" Joker cried and Shepard felt the ship lurching again.

"Stay there," Shepard said abruptly to Liara. She grabbed her Carnifex from the desk, clipped it to her side and rushed to the elevator. The ship lurched again as the door opened and Shepard fell inside, letting her hand hit the controls. The door hissed and shut and Shepard was moving.

The ship lurched yet again. "Kinetic barriers are failing. I recommend tactical retreat before significant damage is done," EDI said over the intercom. Maybe it was Shepard's imagination, but the voice seemed laced with worry.

"Have you identified the hostiles yet?"

"Negative. The storm is scrambling my signals. However based upon tactical data and attack patterns it is forty three per cent possible that they are Eclipse, twenty seven per cent Blue Suns."

"What would either of them be doing out here?"

"I do not know, Commander."

"How far are we from the base?"

"We are five hundred feet from the base at average, as Jeff is currently taking evasive manoeuvres."

"You mean we're on top of the base?" Shepard remarked incredulously as the elevator doors rang open. She immediately started out and toward the helm.

"The efforts of the hostiles seem to be focused upon the base, Commander. If we retreat there is a seventy eight per cent chance of getting away without pursuit."

Shepard continued down the corridor that led to the cockpit. The ship shook and Shepard grabbed a rail to keep herself stable. She could hear Joker shouting orders to EDI. Once the lurch was over she kept walking. "Joker, status."

"Hold that thought, Commander, currently trying to not get blown up."

"EDI, status."

"Kinetic barriers currently at seven per cent. Right engines have taken massive damage and are leaking coolant. Power has been rerouted to rear right engine and right engines running at sixty per cent capacity to accommodate," EDI stated.

"Any chance for a counterattack?"

"Look outside, Commander. They're everywhere. Whoever they are they came in force!" Joker exclaimed, working his fingers furiously across the controls. "We're going to have to flee. I'm not losing another Normandy."

"Alright, break atmo and get us out of here. Head for the Citadel."

"Commander, engines working at the current capacity it is unwise to make such a large trip. I recommend docking in Noveria for repairs. With sufficient supplies repairs should only take forty eight hours," suggested EDI.

"We'll have to take it. Joker, do your thing," Shepard said reluctantly. She looked outside. The sky was littered with ships all blasting away at the Shadow Broker base. As Joker brought the ship around she lost sight of the base. "EDI, bring up the rear view."

A holographic screen popped up to the side of the cockpit and Shepard watched as the ships continued to pelt the Shadow Broker base. There were shots being fired in all directions, as the ship put up a valiant fight. But whoever was attacking had the numbers advantage. Shepard watched as several larger ships broke through the clouds and bombarded the base. Explosions tore apart the length of it and it slowly, but surely, broke in half before the entire thing exploded.

"Liara's going to be devastated," Shepard groaned with remorse. None of the enemy ships pursued and it wasn't long before they were safely behind the Normandy's stealth drives. Shepard put her hand on Joker's shoulder. "You did good. Get us to Noveria."

"After the Collectors you'd think we could handle anything," Joker said, sounding a little disappointed in himself.

"Don't dwell on it. They had both the surprise and the numbers. We were fortunate to get away," Shepard told him before turning and walking away. Suddenly, Tabitha felt tired. She had just witnessed one of the most powerful information networks in the galaxy crumble away and she didn't even have a lead on who did it. And now she had to break it all to Liara.

Well, at least this meant Liara would be joining them, Shepard thought with a sardonic half-smile.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: My Beta was unavailable for this one, so I did my best to cover all my mistakes. Sorry if this is a mess. :3 Chapter three will be properly beta'd. Also, I'm in the planning process for another story involving original characters, so if anyone wants to volunteer to beta this one, send me a message. Oh, and keep the reviews coming! :D

# # #

"Oh no, Shepard, we're still recovering from the last time you stopped by," Anoleis said with that abrupt tone of his. Similar to the rushed tone of most salarians, except with a huge helping of contempt. It was one Shepard had hated from the beginning when she had first visited Noveria. "Fly on, Shepard, leave us be."

"You have two options here, Anoleis. Either you let us dock voluntarily to make our repairs or I invoke my authority as a Spectre and dock anyway. We'll keep to ourselves, I'm as unhappy to be here as you," Shepard stated curtly, making sure Anoleis knew there was no room for bargaining. "If there's an armed guard waiting for us when we dock I'll assume you took the harder way." She cut the transmission at that.

"You give me chills sometimes," Joker commented, as Shepard leaned away from him. She had been using the cockpit communications array for simplicity's sake; that and she was keeping constantly updated on the Normandy's condition. They were leaking coolant, and a downed engine in space meant a lot of trouble.

"Bring her in, loudly. Let them know we're here," Shepard said with a spiteful smile as she looked down at Noveria below them. It was one of the few docks that the Normandy SR-2 could actually fit in, unlike the previous Normandy.

"Aye aye, Commander," was Joker's reply.

Shepard stepped away and grabbed the intercom as Joker began the landing preparations. "This is Commander Shepard speaking, we're approaching Noveria. There will be no shore leave for the time being without my express permission, due to possible hostilities from Noveria's administrative staff. Shepard out." With the broadcast over Shepard walked down the length of the Normandy's neck and into the elevator with a brisk walk. The crew had come to know her walks. They knew better than to interrupt this one.

Liara did not take the news well. Shepard had shown her the recording of the ship going down. It was only right that Liara knew what happened. The asari hadn't left Shepard's room since then, and unfortunately with the damages to the ship and to the crew's morale, Shepard hadn't much time to spend with her, either.

Which is why when the elevator door slid open and Liara was standing outside waiting for her, Shepard was more than a little surprised. "Glad to see you're up," she said calmly.

"We are going to be on Noveria for at least a day. I was hoping to get leave to go to visit Peak 15. I am sure you understand why."

There was something in Liara's voice that Shepard wouldn't have been able to deny even if she had planned to. But the request was reasonable. She wasn't sure if it was wise, considering Liara's condition, but this was the first time the asari had been to Noveria since they had, together, killed Benezia. "Of course, Liara. Though we'll have to be careful about it. Anoleis isn't exactly pleased to see us."

"There has to be a way," Liara said simply.

"There is," Shepard replied calmly. "Just leave that up to me. We'll be touching down soon, and we'll work from there. Go get ready, I'll be back up shortly." She pushed the button on the elevator as Liara nodded. The door shut and Shepard was moving again.

"EDI, where's Kasumi right now?"

"Kasumi Goto is currently in her room on the Port Observation Deck."

The elevator door slid open and Shepard started off again. Kasumi's door wasn't far from the elevator, and the holographic display in the center said it was unlocked. Shepard stepped up and the door hissed open.

Kasumi was sitting on her couch, the display from Keiji's greybox covering her eyes as she seemed to stare off into space. When the door hissed shut the display disappeared and Kasumi glanced over at Shepard. "I assume you need my help getting to Peak 15 without raising alarm," the thief said with a coy grin.

Shepard wasn't surprised. It was common knowledge that they had defeated Benezia at Peak 15, and it wouldn't require too much digging on Kasumi's part to figure the rest out. And Kasumi was the type to be well-informed. "Think you can do it?"

"Of course. Noveria's notoriously behind the times. All that red tape means it takes them _forever_ to update their systems."

"Wonder how their clients would react if they knew that," Shepard mused.

"They usually do. Most contract their own private security to guard the labs. Records are saying Peak 15 has been quarantined and off limits to everyone since you arrived all those years ago."

"Sounds like you're familiar with the ins and outs of Noveria."

"All those private labs? Everyone wants to know what the other is up to. It's easy enough for an opportunistic thief to capitalize."

"Well we'll be leaving within the hour once we land. It'll only be the three of us, so be ready."

"You got it, Commander."

# # #

Kasumi held up her end. Shepard wasn't entirely sure how she had gotten past some of the systems, but that didn't change the fact that they were facing the large container that had held the Rachni Queen and the control room where Benezia had been shot.

"Go on," Shepard said with a nod to Liara. "We'll keep watch."

"Thank you, Commander," Liara said, and walked up the ramp. It was the closest thing they had to a grave, since Benezia's body seemed to have gotten lost in all of the Noverian paperwork. Kasumi and Shepard took up positions at the bottom of the ramp that allowed them to watch the doors.

After a few moments Kasumi said, "You should go be with her."

"She needs to be alone for this," Shepard replied, turning to look away from Kasumi. She wasn't entirely convinced of that fact.

"She's mourning her mother. You were there when I was mourning Keiji, I know you can be comforting under that rugged exterior."

"She's strong, she'll be okay," Shepard reaffirmed, hoping her tone would end the discussion.

Unfortunately she was dealing with Kasumi. "There's a distance growing between you two," the thief speculated. "And you're not sure if you want to close it."

_Dammit she's good_, Shepard cursed inwardly. Kasumi always had been quite observant. "She's changed," Shepard murmured in defeat. Before she could elaborate further, however, one of the doors into the chamber hissed open.

"I still don't know why they haven't opened this place up again. There's nothing here," said a voice. Kasumi and Shepard both ducked under cover and both pulled out their Locust SMGs instinctively. Three guards were walking their beat casually along the platform, two turians and one salarian.

"Take the turian in the back, I'll get the other two right after. Don't let them see you," Kasumi hissed across to Shepard before activating her cloaking. Shepard nodded and activated her own cloaking. She crept along, sticking to the side as she moved beyond the guards. They strolled past her, unaware. Kasumi was somewhere nearby, no doubt.

Shepard rose from her crouched and raised her gun; not to shoot, but she readied to knock the turian at the back of the trio out cold. Just as she tensed and prepared to swing, a green ball of goo flew over her shoulder and smacked into the guard. Immediately it began to melt through his armor.

"What the—" the turian started before the acid began to burn at his carcass. "Get it off of me!"

Shepard whirled around and saw a rachni soldier climbing out of a vent not far from the door the guards had walked through. Without thinking she raised her Locust and started shooting at it. Her cloak deactivated and she heard yelps of surprise from the guards behind her. The Locust made quick work of the rachni.

"Freeze!" shouted one of the guards and Shepard heard his gun draw. The lack of screaming told her the turian who had been spat on was likely dead.

Shepard turned around to face him. "Stand down, I'm here to help," she started. Her green eyes flickered down to the tentacle working its way up from the edge. She raised her pistol to shoot at it, but it tightened its grip on the guard's leg and retreated. The guard took a shot at Shepard—instinct considering she had raised her pistol—but it went wide as he was yanked off his feet and off of the catwalk. Shepard shoot a burst with the Locust, but missed.

"You, with me, move!" Shepard shouted as she motioned to the remaining guard. He nodded hesitantly as Shepard moved past him, toward the spot where Liara was. Kasumi appeared by her side.

"Some of the rachni must have survived your purge, I think they recognize you," the thief said simply, Locust at the ready.

"Doesn't matter, we need to get out of here."

They reached the control room and found two rachni soldiers. Liara used her biotics to throw one of them across the large room and between Shepard, Kasumi and the soldier, the sheer amount of gunfire dropped the second.

A loud buzzing noise began to fill the room. Shepard recognized it. She grabbed Kasumi and dove forward. "Liara, barrier, now!"

Liara complied quickly and erected a large dome barrier with her biotics. Shepard got up and saw the salarian soldier hadn't gotten into the barrier. She rushed forward, but the rachni workers jumped him from all sides, clinging to him, and then exploding.

"Come on, move!" Shepard shouted back to her two companions, raising her Locust and moving forward. "Liara, keep that barrier ready, Kasumi, watch our backs!" Orders given, Shepard started to move.

"Perhaps we should look at taking out the remaining rachni before they kill anyone else," Kasumi offered.

Shepard nodded. "We have to find the reactor and overheat it. That should blow this place sky-high. On me, let's go!" The three of them started to move. Several rachni soldiers climbed over the edge of the rail. Their Locusts riddled the rachni with bullets.

"It is strange that so many rachni managed to survive the purge," Liara speculated.

Shepard nodded. "They probably got outside of the base before the purge, then returned afterward. How they've been getting around here for over two years is beyond me," she grunted. The fact that Peak 15 had been on quarantine was probably to blame.

The trio made quick progress through the complex. The rachni resistance was uncoordinated, small numbers, and between the three of them that meant a lot of bullets and few targets. When they got to the reactor, Shepard brought up her omni-tool and started working.

"Alright, I'm setting it to a slow build. That'll give us time to get down to the storage bay and grab a Mako out of here," she said as she worked.

"The rachni are proving to be a very resilient species. Are we sure we want to destroy all of this?" Liara asked, laying a hand on Shepard's shoulder.

Shepard sighed. There really _was_ a distance growing between them. She could hope to bridge it here . . . Shepard shook away the thought. She had to do what was necessary to protect the people. "We're blowing this place up. There's no other option."

With a few more buttons she dismissed her omni-tool. "We have ten minutes, let's move!" she said and drew her Locust.

Knowing that everything was about to explode and they were working within a time limit really made the run to the Mako seem long and nerve-wracking. Rachni got in their way, but they took care of them easily enough. There were two Mako tanks sitting in the storage bay.

"One of those must have been driven here by the patrol," Kasumi said flatly.

"Doesn't matter anymore. We have two minutes to get out of the blast radius. Let's get one of those mobile!" Shepard barked as she activated the Mako and climbed in. Liara and Kasumi followed. "Hold on!" she called to the two of them as she drove forward and into the frozen wastes of Noveria.

They were still racing across the tundra as the entire Peak 15 exploded. The shockwave from the explosion rattled the Mako, then took it off its wheels momentarily. Just long enough that Shepard lost control of it and it jettisoned across the icy terrain, bouncing once and sliding to a stop upside down.

Once she had recovered Shepard looked around. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, I think."

"I am a little shaken up, but not harmed."

"Good. Normandy, send the shuttle out to our position to pick us up."

"What happened out there, Commander?" Joker responded.

"Bugs. Had to use some of the more advanced extermination techniques," Shepard muttered as she rolled her shoulder.

"If you say so. ETA is twenty minutes on that shuttle. Normandy out."


	3. Chapter 3

When they returned, the salarian administrator was fuming.

"I lost three guards and an entire laboratory up there!" Anoleis shouted angrily. "I know you had something to do with this, Shepard. From now on you and yours will be absolutely restricted to your dock until your repairs are complete. And if I find any evidence that you were involved in the Peak 15 incident, I will have you banned from Noveria for life!"

"That won't be so bad," Shepard quipped. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever happened at Peak 15, but not all explosions are directly related to me. Call me again if you find any evidence. We'll be gone within a day, trust me," she finished and cut the communication. She didn't like talking to Anoleis. Everything about the salarian was bureaucratic.

"Commander, there's something you have to see. I'm patching it through to your room now," Joker said over the intercom as Shepard sat down next to Liara and sighed. The comm screen lit up again and Shepard immediately recognized it as one of the Citadel's local news programs.

"—joining us, moments ago the Citadel's political structure was rocked. An assassination attempt on the recent addition to the council, the hanar representative Jooplod went awry and resulted in the death of the salarian council representative. It is unclear what the motives were for the assault, but C-Sec has confirmed that the weapon used was an M-29 Incisor sniper rifle—"

"Incoming transmission from Councillor Anderson, Commander, should I send it up?"

"Go ahead, Joker," Shepard said, glancing over at Liara for a moment, a mix of emotions plastered across her face.

"Commander," Anderson said as the comm screen displayed his face. "I assume you've gotten the news." It was all over Shepard's face, she knew.

"I think I will get a shower now to allow you some privacy," Liara said quietly and headed for Shepard's bathroom.

Shepard nodded to her before turning to Anderson. "Do you know anything the news doesn't?"

"Not yet, but I will keep you informed. In the meantime, I have a request for you. In an emergency Council meeting we've decided that this will not be the last strike against Jooplod, perhaps the Council. A number of Spectres are being requested to return to the Citadel to lead the investigation. You were the first to be nominated."

"So the Council has gotten over the whole Cerberus thing?"

"I managed to convince them to put the past behind them. You're no longer affiliated with Cerberus by name, which seemed to please them. Might've just been the state of things, though, I wouldn't hold out on it for too long."

"And they want me back because I've already saved them once, right?"

"I may have used that in convincing them, yes."

"Alright. But tell them I'm coming back for your sake. I may still be a Spectre, but they didn't seem too pleased about me trying to save everyone."

"So long as you're coming back."

"In the meantime is there any reason someone would try to kill Jooplod?"

"That one's easy. We suspect it might be an agent of the Shadow Broker's."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder at the bathroom door. The shower was still running. "Why do you suspect that?" she asked guardedly.

"In retaliation. Less than a week ago the Fifth Fleet launched a successful attack on the Shadow Broker's base, an attack set up and planned by Jooplod himself. Reports say the base was destroyed, but the Shadow Broker is quite infamous for his network. There is no guarantee we've eliminated him entirely."

Shepard felt sick. The Fifth Fleet had attacked the Shadow Broker's lair. Liara could've been killed had it been a week earlier or a week later. There was so much to think about. She just knew she had to keep this secret from Liara for the time being. "How did Jooplod know the location of the base? I thought it was supposed to be an extremely protected secret?"

"He says it came to him as an anonymous tip. Either way, the prompt action has certainly established his seat on the Council. And at least temporarily set back the Shadow Broker. It should be hitting the news as soon as the Fifth Fleet returns."

"Alright," Shepard said, her head spinning. "I'll be there soon. Just tied up in some repairs . . . encountered a geth patrol recently. Won't take long."

"Hurry, Shepard, we don't know when the assassin will strike again." The comm screen went blank.

Shepard sat down on the couch again and took a deep breath. There was a lot to sort out. Thankfully she had a network of her own to work through. With her omni-tool, she spoke into the intercom, "Joker, how much time before repairs are done?"

"Should be done by tomorrow afternoon, Commander."

"Make it tomorrow morning, we need to get to the Citadel fast."

"I'll see what I can do." Joker didn't seem too happy with the work order. The comm channel went dead.

"EDI, where's Thane?"

"Thane Krios is currently talking with the Justicar Samara in her room on the Starboard Observation Deck."

"Tell him to meet me in the Briefing Room in five minutes."

There was a brief pause. "He said he will be there."

Shepard got up off the couch. Things were starting to come together. She would keep the Fifth Fleet secret from Liara for the time being, but otherwise she could work at taking down this assassin on the Citadel.

Part of her wanted to half-ass the job and let the assassin take out Jooplod for what he did to Liara. But that was not her.

She knocked on the door to the washroom. "Liara, the meeting's over now. I need to head down to the briefing room to speak with Thane. I'll see you in a bit."

"Alright, Tabitha," Liara said calmly from inside the washroom. She still didn't sound right, but Shepard would have to live with it for now. She grabbed her Carnifex, as per usual—she didn't like to walk around unarmed—and stepped out of the room.

This time Kasumi did surprise her.

"I was afraid I'd have to knock," the thief said with a coy grin.

"What is it, Kasumi?" Shepard asked, stepping into the elevator. Kasumi followed and the doors slid shut.

"Well I was looking to continue the discussion we were having on Peak 15. You know, before we were so rudely interrupted."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, but you were so ready to talk up there. Nothing has changed, not that quickly," Kasumi pouted ever-so-slightly.

"Enough has changed. However I may need you for something. Do you have time?"

"All the time in the world for you, Commander," she said and Shepard could've sworn she saw a wink. It was hard to tell what went on under that cowl Kasumi constantly wore.

The elevator hissed open and Shepard started walking. Kasumi quickly followed behind. "I assume this is to do with the call you'd just received?"

"Are you monitoring my communications, Kasumi?" Shepard said, stopping and turning to look at the thief sternly.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. I just happened to be near the cockpit when Joker sent it up. Heard a few names tossed around. If Councillor Anderson was calling you, and then you call a meeting, well, it has to be quite important."

Shepard just accepted it. Kasumi was dangerous as an enemy. But Shepard had helped her get Keiji's greybox back. Kasumi had been extremely loyal since. She'd even stayed on with the crew after Cerberus paid her, so there was no longer anything in it for her. The fact that she knew of the call just made it easier to explain everything. Shepard turned and kept walking, entering into the briefing room.

Thane was already there. The drell stood firm at attention with his hands clasped behind his back; a typical posture for the assassin. "Commander," he said with a gentle dip when she entered into the room.

"Thane," Shepard responded with a nod, before walking over the table. "EDI, bring up a display of the area where the assassination attempt happened," she said and the holodisplay of the Normandy in the center of the table was quickly replaced with a three dimensional model of a part of the Presidium.

"This is about the assassination attempt?" Thane asked, stepping over and examining the display.

"You know?"

"Jooplod joining the council does not just benefit the hanar. His spot there also represents the drell. I've been following him closely since it was first announced."

"That'll save us some time. I've received orders to investigate the assassination attempt. C-Sec's theory is that it was an agent of the Shadow Broker, but we all know that can't be right. They did confirm that it was an Incisor sniper rifle."

"A wise choice," Thane mused. "It's growing in popularity among law enforcement. Very easy to obtain, and nearly untraceable since it's so common."

"So I thought," Shepard agreed. "But snipers are one of your specialities as an assassin. Examine this map closely, I need to know where you would've shot from with an Incisor. That'll be the best place to start our investigation."

Thane's eyes darted about the map closely as he studied it. The intensity of his concentration reminded Shepard of the memory lapses that the drell went through. He raised his hands and began to move the map about, zooming in and out of various places. Shepard and Kasumi stepped back and watched in silence.

Finally Thane nodded. He zoomed out and pointed to a balcony. "I would shoot from there if I was aiming at Jooplod. But . . ." he paused, rotating the map and pointing to a second spot. "There if I wanted to make it look like I was aiming at Jooplod."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked, stepping in to examine the two perches closely.

"The Incisor is a very common rifle for a variety of reasons, but one of the most popular is its ease of use. It doesn't take extensive training to be able to hit a target at that range.

Understandably the assassin was shooting into a crowd and at a high priority target. However if someone were to hire an assassin for such a target, they wouldn't hire a novice."

"So you're saying the actual target was the salarian," Shepard mused. "There's no reason they couldn't have taken a second shot either, if their target had been Jooplod. But why?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Kasumi offered, stepping beside Shepard.

"Do you think you could get us into these two buildings?" Shepard asked the thief.

"Well the first one is only a residential apartment building. For high ranking delegates, meaning tighter security, but still just an apartment building. That should be easy. The second, more likely, looks like . . . the salarian embassy. That one might be a bit trickier."

"So can you do it?"

"I said trickier, I didn't say impossible. I'll get working on preparations." Kasumi nodded and then dismissed herself.

"Why would they shoot from the salarian embassy at the salarian councillor?" Shepard mused.

Thane stepped up beside her where Kasumi had just been. "That's easy. If you shoot the salarian councillor, where do you think the most chaos would ensue? The assassin could've just walked right out of there. The real question is how they got in there in the first place."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** After almost a year I'm not sure if my Beta Reader is around or not, but I'll be looking for a new Beta Reader for Shepard's Folly all the same, so if you want you can send me a message volunteering. I'm not picky, I just like having another set of eyes for those obvious mistakes.

#

The area had increased security since the 'failed' assassination attempt. The salarian embassy was pretty much entirely locked down, and all movement was being monitored. It made doing a covert investigation somewhat difficult. But Shepard had earned something of a reputation doing things that were determined difficult. Or impossible. Plus she had an easy contingency plan if things went sour.

"Remind me again why you don't just use your Spectre certification to move around without question?" Kasumi said over the comm line they had set up. She and Thane were on their way through the apartment building while Shepard had taken the salarian embassy for herself. She had briefly entertained the idea of having Thane take the embassy, using the excuse that he was investigating the assassination attempt, but with security as tight as it was she preferred to take the biggest risk herself.

"If the shot did come from the embassy then there's the possibility that it was an inside job. I don't want the assassin to catch wind of this investigation if I have a choice in the matter," Shepard responded with a low whisper as she kept an eye on a nearby patrol. When the C-Sec troops had passed by she moved quickly across the street and ducked behind a floral display before moving down the alleyway.

Kasumi and Shepard had discussed the plan carefully, using the holomap of the area to outline the most efficient route. Neither of them were strangers to stealth, but they had differing styles, so the discussion had gotten a bit intense until they had agreed on this path. "It's not the first time I walked up the side of a building," Shepard murmured to herself as she looked up the height of the embassy, one of the tallest buildings in the area.

As she attached a lifeline to one of the pipes that ran up the side of the building, Shepard briefly wondered if Liara would be at all worried about her doing this sort of thing. She sighed and shrugged the thought off, turning her focus to the monumental task at hand. The side of the embassy was against another building, meaning it was a blind spot to most of the sensors in the area. That was the main reason they had chosen this path. The pipe also provided its use, though it wouldn't take her all the way to the top.

With a deep inhale she hoisted herself up, planting her feet against the side of the building and holding onto the pipe. She grunted and began her descent. The spot Thane had picked out was on the twenty seventh floor, meaning she had quite some distance to cover yet. It was slow going as she took extra care and made sure she always had her footing. The higher she got the fewer and fewer buildings clustered around her. Aside from the embassy and the building next to it there weren't many tall structures on this side of the square.

And then she was at the end of the pipe. That was the end of the easy part of her climb and Shepard felt a bit of anxiety in the pit of her stomach as she hooked her foot between the pipe and the wall, wrapping her arm around it and detached her lifeline. If she fell here there would be nothing to stop her from plummeting all twenty floors. Only seven to go, but this part was a little more dangerous. Just a little.

She readjusted herself and took two deep breaths. If she missed she would die. It was that simple. Many would call her foolish just for trying it on the hunch that this had been an inside job, but the certainty in Thane's voice when he had listed the two potential sniper nests had set something in motion in Shepard's mind, and she had learned long ago to trust her instincts on these matters. That faith in her own gut feeling was enough to drive her to these radical measures.

With a quick three count she jumped from the pipe for the front of the building. Her momentum was a little off, however, and she undershot the twentieth floor balcony by a few inches, her hand reaching outward for the railing but missing. Instead she caught herself on the nineteenth floor and felt all of her weight nearly yank her shoulder out of its socket as she held her grip. If she hadn't been reconstructed she would've probably lost all feeling in that arm right there and fallen.

But as it were Shepard was capable of things most humans weren't, and she grabbed the rail and held on. As she swung back around she grabbed it with her other hand and hoisted herself up. Not onto the balcony, merely onto the ledge that ran around its outside, using the rail to keep herself steady.

"Nice catch," Kasumi said. Shepard glanced off to the side where the apartment building was and saw a brief shimmer of Kasumi's cloaking on the balcony they were supposed to be investigating. The thief was definitely waving. If she didn't need her grip to keep herself from falling to her death, Shepard would've waved back.

"Thanks." It was all Shepard could say as she quickly activated her own tactical cloak. She was on the front of the building now and that left her open to the eyes down below. Too high to be noticed by most of the sensors, but still visible if anyone were to glance up. "Have you found anything?"

"Not yet, but Thane is having a good look around. The room belongs to one of the salarian diplomats that work over there. Tell him he's got a letter from a 'Cynthia Dawson' waiting for him if you see him. Looks special, maybe a suitor?"

"Now's not the time for games," Shepard grunted as she climbed up onto the rail and leapt up, catching the ledge of the balcony above her with her fingertips. It was a hard climb and would've taken forever if she had started from the very bottom, but she only had seven floors to go. "Report back if you find anything."

It was actually rather hard to climb when you couldn't even see your own arms, but Shepard managed without slipping. She quickly climbed up to the twenty seventh floor balcony. The one Thane had pointed out was three away from the end. The salarian embassy had been an apartment building itself at one point before being converted. Some of the rooms were even kept to house significant political personnel or refuges. On this floor Shepard could see salarians working in their offices with a certain urgency.

Their representative on the Citadel Council had just been assassinated, of course they would be working hard. Hard enough that they didn't notice the shimmer of Shepard's tactical cloak as she made her way across their balconies, jumping the gaps in between, to the third one. She glanced inside quickly, but it was empty. Convenient. Hacking the lock on the outside door disrupted her cloak, so Shepard stayed low as she worked her Omni-tool.

With a hiss the door opened and she crept inside. The place was bizarrely neat. Shepard concluded it had to be an unused office, with decorations there to make it look presentable. It certainly wasn't used that much, if at all, by the lack of any wear or tear at all in the desk or chair. Ignoring this fact she moved straight for the computer. In and out, so that even if it was used she would be gone before whoever owned it came back.

Her Omni-tool interfaced with the computer and she quickly ran her hacking routine. There were no files on the computer aside from standard starting files. It had never been used. She branched out from there to check the network, while setting a subroutine to download surveillance footage from all of the cameras in the building. The download field the Omni-tool presented to Shepard, the maximum range from the computer in which it would still work, sprawled the length of the office and out onto balcony, so she quickly darted back out and behind cover just in case someone came by.

Only on sheer instinct was Shepard able to get down in time as a shot slammed into the wall where her head had been. She looked down to make sure she was still inside the download field, which was extremely limiting out on the balcony. That wasn't good. "Thane, Kasumi, I'm under fire. Sniper shots, can you locate the source?" she hissed. The shot had been silenced, she hadn't even heard it fired. Definitely not C-Sec; they had no need to silence their rifles in this area.

"We're in position," Thane said over the comm. Shepard took a deep breath and poked her head up over the rail. Bait for a silenced and hidden sniper. At least it meant climbing the side of a building wasn't the most dangerous thing she'd done today. She made a point of moving about in no form of pattern to throw off the aim as she scanned the buildings that would have a vantage point on this position.

Once again her instinct worked to her favor and she dodges another shot as it put a large dent in the wall behind her. While she was down she checked her Omni-tool again. Download still wasn't finished and she was a sitting duck on that balcony. "Did you see it?"

"I saw the trail, but not the shooter. I have an idea, just need one more shot."

"This is my head we're talking about. Keep a ready eye, this is your only shot," Shepard grunted as she lifted herself again. This time the shooter was ready, however, and her instinct wasn't quick enough. She felt the shot slam into her shoulder and it knocked her backward against the wall with a thud. Fortunately her shields had absorbed most of the blow, though she had lost a lot of feeling in that arm and there was a nasty dent in her armor.

"Got it, but I don't have a clear shot."

"Where?"

"Residential building straight across from this one, fourth window from the right on the thirtieth floor." Thane was quick and precise, and Shepard tried to remember what the square looked like from the balcony she was on, to picture it so that she could make it quick. Her arm was tingling as sensation began to creep back in, and she would have a bruise there later. Her Omni-tool buzzed to notify her that the download was complete, which was good because she didn't have much time to wait. There was no going through the embassy without causing a political incident, even as a Spectre.

"On the count of three take two quick shots suppressing fire and then get out of there before security shows up. I'll meet you at the rendezvous point," Shepard ordered and took a breath. This would be tight. "One . . . two . . . three!" Shepard jumped up and bolted across the balcony, leaping to the next one as she heard Thane's shots in quick succession. She didn't have much time before the sniper recovered, she had to move. She leapt across the balconies with little regard for the salarians working inside, until she was at the end of the row.

Then, without hesitation, she leapt again, throwing herself off the building. Her arms windmilled to keep control of her fall and her legs kicked as the rooftop of the next building rushed up at her. She hit a little harder than she would've liked, falling into a roll that placed her right behind a ventilation unit. With a grunt she recovered and continued running, this time toward the back of the building she was on. A single shot hit the ground at her feet, far too close for her comfort, before she leapt off that building as well.

This time she jumped blindly.

Fortune was on her side, in a way, as there was a building there. It was a little taller than the one she had jumped off of, but it was there to catch her as she crashed through a window and rolled across the floor, landing on her back and looking up at the ceiling. A dazed and confused family of humans looked down at her from the table where they were eating their lunch and watching television.

"Don't worry, I'm a Spectre," Shepard said with an exasperated breath, taking a moment to lay there and gather herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Still looking for a Beta Reader for the story, so any who are interested can message me.

* * *

Once she was out of the sniper's field of view moving around was a lot easier. Whoever it was that had been shooting had definitely had enough time to see her face, and Shepard was fairly confident she was identifiable, even after Cerberus had their way with her face. And even if she hadn't been spotted, the sniper would be on to the investigation if they were half-way competent, and considering the fact that her shoulder was still numb, Shepard was also sure of that fact.

That meant she could use all her Spectre credentials, making her previous risks seem remarkably foolhardy. At least to most they would. Shepard saw a victory in the loss, however. The sniper had been watching the office. Whether it was the same sniper that had shot down the salarian councillor was unknown, but it was doubtless that they were related in some way. If Shepard had to make a guess she'd say surveillance watching the scene of the crime who had thought they'd gotten an easy shot on her.

Too many people made that mistake when it came to Shepard.

Before meeting up with Kasumi and Thane at their predetermined rendezvous point Shepard decided to exercise some of those Spectre powers she had and fetch the surveillance footage from the building Thane had seen the sniper from. It might be useful to cross reference with the footage from the salarian embassy. When she left the area there were some very confused C-Sec officers wondering why a Spectre had wanted random footage from that day.

"Glad to see you made it out of there alright," Kasumi quipped immediately as Shepard arrived at the shuttle.

"The sniper manage to get another shot off and you were not responding to your radio, we had feared the worse," Thane added in that usual somber tone of his. Shepard merely nodded to the pair as she opened the door to the shuttle and climbed in, the squad following.

"The fall must've knocked out my radio," Shepard said dismissively, rolling her shoulder. "I took a shot but my shields absorbed most of the damage. Didn't stop it from killing my arm for a while, though."

"He might be walking with a limp himself, I managed to hit him in the foot with my second shot but his shields took the brunt of that shot as well," Thane said apologetically. It was like him.

Shepard merely nodded. "That might help identify him in the future," she offered as the shuttle started up and lifted off of the ground. "Whoever he is now knows I'm looking for him, so he'll be playing it carefully from here." Shepard set the shuttle on a course for the Normandy and then sat back, fiddling with her Omni-tool as best as she could with her numb arm.

"Did you find anything?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm not sure. I have surveillance footage from the embassy and the building the sniper was using today. I'm going to upload them for EDI to scan through and cross-reference. Anyone caught in both sets will be an immediate lead, but I doubt our assassin was that clumsy. Chances are it's a dead end. What about the apartment?"

"It was interesting, actually. The apartment hadn't actually been lived in for the better part of a year. It was disguised very well; whoever had set the place up had gone through great efforts to create a personality for the salarian who was supposed to live there," Kasumi reported. Shepard raised an eyebrow in the thief's direction. Kasumi merely grinned. "So of course I lifted the account numbers off of the landlord's computer. I'll check them for any leads."

"The office I was investigating was also unused. It was set up and ready for use but hadn't seen any in some time, from what I could tell," Shepard mused. "Could the two be linked? Did it say what office number the resident was in the embassy?"

"No, though it seems more and more likely it was on the twenty seventh floor," Kasumi murmured in agreement.

It was Thane's turn to offer speculation. "Why would the assassin have such an intricate set-up ready in that particular location?"

"Well it was right next to the salarian embassy. If he wanted the shoot the salarian councillor where better to do so than outside the embassy for his people?" Kasumi responded.

"But if that's the case why did he wait until now? What has changed?"

"The only thing I could think of is the new hanar councillor," Shepard murmured thoughtfully. "And the assassination was disguised as an attempt at the hanar. Jooplod seems to be a crucial piece here."

They ended it on that thought, each left to their own speculation as Shepard took up control of the shuttle once more to dock it with the Normandy. She was somewhat thankful to be back home, even though she felt like little was actually accomplished on this mission. Her shoulder was aching her and she longed for a massage from Liara to help loosen it up and bring feeling back.

At least, she hoped the asari would be willing, considering the rift that was forming between them.

###

"You really should not take such pointless risks," Liara murmured as she examined the massive bruise that was forming on Shepard's shoulder. Fortunately thanks to Cerberus Shepard healed much faster than she used to, which explained the complete lack of scars across her battle-worn body, but that didn't stop the bruise from being tender to the touch, even with Liara's precise hands.

"I wanted to keep the investigation secret," Shepard said flatly. Liara didn't seem to understand that.

"So instead you climbed twenty floors up the exterior of a building. Sometimes I do not understand human logic," Liara sighed, wrapping a bandage around Shepard's arm and collarbone. It wasn't really going to accomplish anything, but it would act as a reminder to Shepard that her arm wouldn't have nearly the strength it normally had for the next little while. Which meant no using her Widow. The sniper rifle would rip the arm off any normal human.

"It felt kind of nostalgic, actually. You were there when Sovereign attacked the Citadel, you remember," Shepard said in a panicked attempt at humor to try and soften the tense mood that seemed to always be present when the two of them were alone. Citing a disaster that had killed thousands of people wasn't exactly the best attempt. Liara made this abundantly clear with a single look.

"I knew you were always foolhardy, Tabitha, but you never used to be this reckless with your own life," Liara said solemnly as she finished bandaging the bruise and cut the roll off, laying it to the side.

"A lot has happened, Liara. Besides, I've put my life on the line plenty of times."

"Yes, but it was never for something as minute as reconnaissance. I remember watching you on the battlefield. You put the life of everyone else above your own and made sure to have as few casualties as possible. That was noble of you, it was admirable. But this new you, perhaps ever since you were brought back to life, I do not know, but you're much more hasty in your decisions."

So that was the root of the problem? No, it couldn't be something so simple. Liara had been citing the two years when Shepard had been dead, but that distance could've been overcome. Shepard considered what Liara said. Was she really a different person? The Illusive Man had refused to put any kind of control chip in her for that exact reason, wanting her to be the same Shepard she had always been, but she had changed. Of course she had changed. She was stronger, faster, much more hardy than before. With improved capabilities she was able to push her limits.

"Where will we be heading from here?" Liara asked, snapping Shepard out of her reveries. Tabitha looked up at the asari and shrugged somewhat uselessly.

"We have no leads yet. EDI is going through hundreds of cameras worth of surveillance footage and Kasumi is working on tracking an account. Both of those things could take a bit of time, so until then . . ." She trailed off and left it at that.

"Would it be too bold of me to make a request, then?"

"No, not at all. You know I would do anything for you, Liara," Shepard said, sounding far more desperate than she wanted, but just as desperate as she felt.

Liara didn't seem to take notice. "I would like to go to Thessia, then." The homeworld of the asari, and of Liara herself. Shepard wondered briefly why she would want to go there, but it was a fairly easy answer.

Still she had to ask. "What's on Thessia?" A bit cruder than she would have liked.

"Since I have left my home on Illium and the Shadow Broker's ship was shot down, I am left with few options. After Benezia's defeat at Peak 15 I was left with her estates on Thessia. I did not know what to do with them until now: I was thinking I would return home."

The words stung and every part of Shepard wanted to object, to tell Liara that she would not help the asari abandon their relationship. But she had to wonder if there even was a relationship. Shepard had clung to it in hopes after her long absence, but it had never been the same. Perhaps Liara had been hoping that it would work, too, or perhaps she had merely been playing along for Shepard's sake. Either way was equally heartbreaking.

But Shepard knew she couldn't say no to the asari. Not after everything Liara had given her. Shepard had abandoned the asari once before, left her alone and hurting from the loss. Then she had showed up and torn her life upside down as she had become the new Shadow Broker. She had been ready to part ways again then as Liara would live on the ship. This was merely putting their path back in order after the destruction of the Shadow Broker's lair.

"Don't you want to find out who had shot down your ship?" Shepard asked, grabbing onto whatever she could reach. It was a weak defense.

"You are preoccupied with other duties and I do not wish to burden you with another investigation. I am capable of searching for those answers on my own, as I always have. Perhaps I would even be able to piece the network the Shadow Broker had laid out back together," Liara responded softly. The asari reached out and cupped Shepard's face with her gentle touch. "You will stop in to see me on Thessia, right?"

Shepard couldn't tell if Liara was offering this as some form of false hope or if she really meant it. It was hard to tell now that the thought had wormed its way into her mind, a seed of doubt that grew quickly, manifesting itself as a paranoia Shepard fought to ignore. But it was there nonetheless.

"Of course," she responded half-heartedly, not entirely convinced in the words. She didn't want to let Liara go, but on the same token it would be unfair to the asari to hold her against her will. She would stay if Shepard asked, but would she really want to? It was hard to tell.

Before Shepard could say anything else, Liara pressed their lips together and held it. Tabitha knew she should enjoy the sensation, but that seed of doubt was ripping all enjoyment out of it. She could practically feel the pity dripping from Liara's lips, but she was not entirely convinced it was real. What was the illusion here and what wasn't? Did Liara still really care? Did she ever care? When did she stop?

When Shepard left her quarters later that night nothing had straightened itself out in her mind. It was still all a mess. She didn't even know when she had arrived outside of Kasumi's door, nor why, but when she realized this fact she turned around and walked back to the bridge. There were definitely duties she could occupy herself with, to busy her mind and get it back on the investigation at hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Please don't hate me for this. I have a plan.

* * *

"I've been getting several reports and complaints about your investigation, Shepard, so I can only assume you've got something you're working on," Anderson said through the comm.

"I was working on a lead, yes. I had located where the sniper had shot from and aimed to collect some data from the nearby buildings," Tabitha replied. "All of my resources are currently working on finding further leads from the data collected." It was an automatic reply. Shepard wasn't entirely focused on the report. She was more answering Anderson's questions than presenting anything.

"And why was it the first any security on scene heard of a Spectre was when shots were fired across the square?"

"I was working under cover." Shepard didn't elaborate further. Her reason to believe it had been an inside job really was only a hunch. She had no proof to work on, and she still had nothing to back it up. "You put me on this case because my methods get results; you just have to trust me that I know what I'm doing." She wasn't entirely convinced in her own response, but she didn't need to have to explain every little think to Anderson. The less he knew the more deniability he had.

"Right. What's your next move, then?"

Shepard sighed inwardly. "Thessia," she said flatly, not wanting to have to explain her personal problems to Anderson.

"Why is your investigation taking you there?" Anderson asked, with a surprising amount of urgency in his voice. This piqued Shepard's interest.

"It's a personal errand while I wait for analysis to come back. Is there anything wrong?"

"The asari councillor is on her way there as well. She decided she wanted to return home for a while after the death of another council member. If you were heading there as well I feared she might be returning to a trap," Anderson explained with evident relief. "Once your personal errand is finished, until your analysis comes back, maybe you should stick around just in case."

The orders bit into Shepard. She wanted to be done with Thessia as soon as possible, considering her main reason to go there. She decided she just wouldn't let Liara know that she was sticking around on the planet afterward. It was a large place, after all, it would be easy enough to not bump into the asari, especially if she was laying low.

"Report back if anything else comes up," Anderson finished and then the comm line went dead. Shepard sighed and looked down at her hands on the desk. There was an eerie silence to the room now. Liara had stepped out when Shepard mentioned she had to report in, leaving her alone for the time being. She briefly considered going and finding her asari companion, but she knew better. Instead she let her head fall into her hands and closed her eyes, taking a moment.

"I saw Liara talking with Mordin, so I assumed you weren't in the middle of anything," a voice said behind her, starting Shepard out of the semi-doze she'd fallen into. She recognized the voice immediately, one that was growing increasingly familiar and welcome in her life.

Most of the time. Right now she wasn't too interested in company. "I assume you've found something, Kasumi?" Shepard asked without lifting her head.

"I did and I didn't, though it wouldn't be bad for me to just come and give you a visit, now, would it?" the thief said in that usual mischievous tone of hers.

"Not right now. What did you find?"

"Well that's just it," there was a bit of hesitation in Kasumi's voice. "I didn't find anything. The trail eventually falls into a loop of about five different accounts just feeding each other endlessly. I couldn't track where the credits came from originally. Whoever this is, they're remarkably thorough. I'm sorry, but there's no lead here."

Shepard sighed. It had been a long shot in the first place, but she had held onto some hope. Perhaps that had just been foolish. She glanced over at the computer on her desk through her fingers. "EDI, how about you?"

The little hologram appeared. "I am currently eighty seven per cent through the obtained footage and I have yet to locate any suspicious activity. It seems highly unlikely that the remaining footage will contain much either." Shepard swore she could hear some remorse in that digital voice.

"Alright, analyze it anyway and let me know," she replied and the hologram disappeared. Now her spirits were really down. Shepard closed her eyes and let her head rest in her hands, not even caring that Kasumi was in the room. She had no leads to work off of anymore, she was running blind and she was losing Liara. She knew that last part shouldn't bother her so much in a time of need like this, but it did, it tore away at her hopes and left her crestfallen.

"I can try some of my contacts. If the assassin is being this thorough then he must have help. Even I couldn't do this alone," Kasumi offered.

The offer did bring a sardonic smile to Shepard's lips, but it didn't really help her hopes much. She shrugged her shoulders lazily. "We don't have any other leads at the moment. Let me know if anything comes up," she said dismissively. She really wanted to be alone right now, even though she was remarkably thankful to Kasumi for being so understanding. There weren't many Shepard would let see her like this; it wasn't good for crew morale, but with Kasumi that didn't matter. The Japanese girl always seemed chirpy and ready for anything.

The door opened and shut across the room and Kasumi was gone. Shepard was left to her own thoughts, to her own demons, whether she liked them or not. She needed to get things straight before her problems started mixing together and getting in the way.

###

Thessia. Shepard had never been there personally but she had heard plenty of stories. Many of which had come from Liara herself. It was a busy place, much like Illium. A great place, too, full of wonder. But Shepard wasn't interested in any of that as she piloted the shuttle into the spaceport. As it turned out Liara's home was close to that of the asari councillor and they were arriving at the same time. There wasn't any room for the Normandy to dock, so it remained in orbit as Shepard personally flew down with Liara.

It was going to be an emotional moment and that was for the best, really. Shepard didn't want the crew to know this was tearing her up so much.

There was an awkward silence in the shuttle as they docked. Shepard had never really understood the meaning of 'elephant in the room' until now. The silence seemed to have a physical weight, bearing down on her shoulders and making her feel weak. Needless to say it wasn't a feeling Shepard was particularly fond of, but she really didn't know what to say. Liara's mind was set, was it her place to change it on her? She had a point; Shepard's investigation was taking up most of her time.

With a hiss the shuttle touched down. As the thrusters gave out and all the weight fell onto the landing gear it bounced a little, then came to complete rest. Shepard looked down at the controls for a long moment, gathering up her thoughts. Liara didn't take that moment herself, getting up and opening the side door.

"This will be fine," the asari commented simply. "I do not want to take you any further out of your way." Shepard found herself doubting the sincerity of the words, but grasping to them regardless.

"Here, let me at least help you get your stuff to a taxi," Shepard offered, climbing out of the shuttle after Liara. It was an obvious reach, she realized, as Liara didn't have that much stuff to take with her after leaving her apartment on Illium and losing the Shadow Broker's ship.

"I will be fine, Tabitha."

The words practically struck Shepard physically and hurt more than even the sniper shot she'd taken just a couple weeks before. That was the real nature behind this, then. Liara was moving on, and Shepard had to do so as well. But it was hard, especially when this whole gap had happened almost instantaneously for her. She remembered the day the original Normandy had blown up, back when everything was just fine. Then she woke up with Cerberus and when she found Liara everything was rocky.

"Well contact me once you've settled in, I'd like to see more of Thessia," Shepard said with a shaky smile. She was a woman of action, she preferred to be doing things, shooting things. This was . . . hard.

"I will. Take care of yourself until then."

That was it. A few more awkward words and then Liara was gone. Shepard watched her walk down and into the spaceport. She would be alright. She could handle herself. Shepard needed to worry more about her investigation than her own problems. Lives were at risk, she couldn't allow herself to lose focus. She had a job that needed doing.

So lost was she in her thoughts that she didn't know when she'd climbed back into the shuttle and taken off. After the goodbye the next thing she knew she was in the air. The heavy silence was still there, but now the shuttle felt remarkably lonely. Shepard sighed and set the controls to automatic. She climbed out of her seat and stepped back, glancing down at the spaceport growing smaller below her.

And then it exploded.

She saw it happen before she felt it. A shockwave ripped through the foundations, followed quickly by a wall of fire that scattered everything in its way. The explosion was huge, and consumed the entire spaceport in its wake. Shepard's eyes shot wide open just before the shockwave hit her shuttle. It started to shake and buck wildly and Shepard was thrown about. She grabbed for anything to keep herself from getting smacked around, but there was nothing to hold onto.

The shuttle turned upside down and flipped around. Up was down and down was up for Shepard. There was a sudden jolt, a moment where everything seemed under control, then more rumbling and tossing. Shepard felt the shuttle dragging along something, and then come to a complete stop. She was dazed, but that never stopped her before. She quickly got back to her feet and practically ripped open the door.

"Commander, are you alright?" Joker asked over the comm. Shepard ignored him. She clambered out of the shuttle and fell to her knees on the roof of whatever building she'd landed on. She was pretty sure her arm was broken, along with her ribs, and she might have hit her head. Her vision was swimming but she crawled forward regardless.

"Commander, are you there?" More urgency in his voice. Shepard climbed to her feet and fell back down. She crawled some more and hoisted herself up to the lip of the building, looking upon the smoldering wreckage that was the spaceport. There were more explosions, smaller ones, as fuel depots and the like caught up with the damage. Shepard's fist clenched and she punched the rooftop hard, feeling her knuckles dislocate. But it didn't matter.

Only one thing crossed her mind then.

"Liara!"


End file.
